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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700612">Alongside</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arrowverse - Fandom, Black Lightning (TV), DC Universe Online, Titans (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Depression, Mental Health Issues, Police Brutality, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Social Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:40:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the extreme trauma he sustained over the years, Gar has no choice but to take a break from Titans and decides to fly to Freeland, Georgia. While there, he runs into a group of protesters who are speaking up against injustice. Among the protesters, he meets a brave girl named Jennifer. Interested in learning about the ways in which the system has failed Freeland, it gives him time to reflect and build an unforgettable friendship before returning home—takes place after Titans S2 and before Black Lightning S3.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alongside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ever since Rachel made her choice to fly to Themyscira with the Amazons, Gar endlessly wondered what was stopping him from doing the same—not going to Themyscira but going somewhere to liberate himself after all the bullshit he had been through for the past few years. He understood that their situations were similar in the very least but something in Garfield kept telling him that it didn’t really matter. Yes, Rachel left for more dire reasons and to try and revive a good friend and former teammate of theirs, and maybe even learn some new skills along the way...but Gar needed this break to revitalize himself—mentally and physically. He was growing tired of waking up every day only to stay locked in his bedroom and constantly be checked on like he was some normal teen with an identity crisis. In reality, there was not a person alive who could understand what he was going through. Even though Kory and the other Titans often tried to see through his optics, he was just never ready to give them the chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar was the only Titan who undoubtedly went through the most mistreatment ever since he joined the team and there were times where he wondered if leaving Doom Manor was the first misstep. It wasn’t like he disliked his new family, but he often thought about Cliff, Rita, and Larry. Sure they babied him and sheltered from time to time but there was something to love about it. Sure, he did nothing but stay locked in as well, but he missed playing video games and watching critically acclaimed vintage films all day on VHS. Titans...Titans was different. It was far from advertised but he felt like it was every person for themselves and they were each, one way or another, still in the process of trying to figure themselves out. Now, Niles wasn’t the most ideal father-figure but every time Gar had a near-death experience, he could hear Niles going, “I told you so”. And ever since Cadmus, the pompous echo had been growing louder and louder as each day passed. As if he hadn’t already had multiple nervous breakdowns before, Gar just knew when he was on the verge of another and he knew the clock was counting down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat on the edge of his bed, dressed head to toe in his favorite green-and-white striped top with beige tapered jeans and black low-top shoes. This was one of the few times where he had actually put effort into getting himself ready. Despite everything Conner had gone through, he was still interested in experiencing the rest of the world. Sure, he and Gar didn’t have the best memories together but Conner always thought that they could hopefully be a day where they put those days behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost as if it were a strenuous task, Gar fought to lift both his head and eyes from looking at the floor. He took in a deep breath and looked at the broken mirror across from him. Due to being injected with a serum that saved his life, his unkempt hair still retained a natural green ombre that transitioned from his sleek, dark brown roots. However, its vibrance felt like a complete foil to his eroded mental state. The current state of his mirror was a result of the frustration that had been boiling within Gar over the past few months, and when it finally bubbled over, he found himself wanting to destroy everything, even himself. But there were somewhat decent ways to channel his energy: Every once in a while, Gar would order some massive pillows online to let his anger out every once in a while. He’d lock himself in his room, morph into a tiger, blackout, and just let loose, which was why his room had remnants of cotton filling no matter how much he tried cleaning it. Only recently, did he learn that giving jabs and kicks to a heavy punching bag in the Titans gym seem to have a much similar effect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Gar just knew that today was going to be like every other. Just the thought of going outside and having to engage with people gave him anxiety. So to get rid of the unnerving feeling, he took a deep breath and kicked his shoes off. Throwing himself back onto his bed, he grabbed his green comforter and curled up inside of it. He felt his sinuses burn, shutting his eyes just as the irresistible urge to cry became too heavy. Suddenly, that’s when he heard three soft knocks,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gar?” he heard Kory’s honey-like voice. Gar couldn’t bring himself to answer, so he remained quiet “It’s Kory,” he heard her say, despite the obviousness, “I’m coming in okay?” Gar wasn’t the type to have restrictions when it came to privacy but everyone else respected them either way. Kory usually did too, but if she felt that someone was in desperate need of any type of love, support, or attention, she was willing to overstep for their sake—and to be honest, Gar wasn’t opposed to it. He found it hard to believe that anyone would be. Quickly, he turned his back to the door, wiping the few tears that ran vertically across his face while laying down. It left small glistening streaks along his cheeks and crevasses of his nose. Stifling his sniffs as the door opened, he stayed still to give off the illusion that he was in deep slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory stuck her head in through the door, having her burgundy curls fall and dangle over her shoulders. From what she could observe, Gar was asleep, but truthfully, she had been discreetly checking in on him every now and then. She knew she heard him moving around earlier today and just didn’t know when the timing was right. Of course, it was her and the “kids” again, but frankly, she liked it that way. Jason, this time, was off somewhere with Dick because they had some important Batfam reunion with Bruce or whatever. Other than Gar, she was accompanied by Conner, and, boy, would she have given anything to have Troy with her. Kory could pat herself on the back every once in a while for making breakthroughs with her fellow teammates, but Troy possessed some type of Earthling cheat code that just made her process things better than a privileged Tameranean such as herself. Nevertheless, she made it her royal duty to keep on learning. She separated her dark velvet lips as she hesitated to speak, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gar?” she whispered raspily. Although she knew he wasn’t, she decided to ask anyway, hoping it would translate into something else, “Are you asleep?” she hoped for a reply. It was sad to say, but Kory didn’t expect much since it was all she was given from him. Kory may have not shown her weak side very much, but being ignored by the ones she cared for did a number on her. On Gar’s end, he could hear her give a sigh, sounding evident with distress. If there was anything Gar had never lost amid his ordeals, it was his capability of having empathy and he always sensed when someone was feeling defeated, which led him to wonder if it had something to do with knowing the feeling all too well. Before shutting the door, Kory said a final time, “Just let me know if you need anything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Kory sluggishly backed away from his door and continued down the corridor. Just as she planned to return to the kitchen in which she was teaching Conner to cook, she heard her name called from behind the wall. Before she could get too far, she froze in place and made a slow about-face on her heels. She inched closer to Gar’s bedroom door, hoping it wasn’t her worry playing tricks on her, she carefully turned the doorknob and peered in—seeing her green companion sitting erect on his mattress, vacant of the emotion he used to greet her with plenty of times before,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he started, feeling differently once he saw her gleaming face, “I’m not asleep actually.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar. forced a smirk—if one could even call it that. Kory leaned on the frame of the doorway, placing her thin hand on her hip. She let out a nervous breath almost as if she was preparing herself for a public speaking,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just coming to let you know that I made some breakfast,” she looked away awkwardly, “Conner already ate two whole boxes of cereal so…you’re one more box away from having a family breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what?” Gar asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I made some bacon and eggs…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’ll pass,” Gar said without letting her finish. All it took was the mention of bacon for Gar to become vexed and Kory took notice of that. He kicked his sheets out and continued to roll himself back into his mattress. Gar appreciated the thought but he was beginning to wonder if anyone really cared about him or if it was all just for show because if they did, they most definitely wouldn’t forget the core traits of Gar, especially when it came to what kept him alive, “I don’t eat meat, Kory. Remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory waited for the moment to subside, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that,” she said entering his room, “That’s why I made you hashbrowns...” this time she took slow steps toward his bed, “Vegan, scrambled eggs. Spinach...” she continued, trying really hard to hold in the bragging she wanted to express so desperately. Gar, on the other hand, would be lying if he didn’t admit his mouth was watering at this point, and if that wasn’t working, Kory listed more, “Roasted tomatoes…” this time she was standing over his bed, looking down at him with both hands placed on her hips, “and a perfect slice of avocado…” she sang somewhat teasingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright…” Gar turned over and cheesed at her. Overjoyed to see him genuinely smile for the first time in weeks, she helped him get out of bed and walked with him to the kitchen with her arm in his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar sat at the counter as he waited for Kory to prepare him a dish. The only other person at the end of the counter was Conner, bizarrely chugging down a massive bowl of milk and cereal and he hadn’t put it down since Gar arrived. Like a submarine diver who forgot their swim gear, Conner placed down his bowl to take a breather and let out a belch that had the potential to pop everyone’s ears. Kory paused on her way to give Gar his plate of food, receiving nothing but innocent and unflattering smiles with milk flowing from the gaps. Kory diligently placed the plate down in front of Gar and looked at the Kryptonian clone who was happily sitting on the far end of the counter like a baby in a high chair,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Conner, sweetie…” Kory started, “How many times do I have to tell you to chew with your mouth closed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a hard gulp that was enough to distress the two other Titans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Kory,” Conner apologized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He debatingly looked down at the spoon beside him and sure enough, with looks of approval from Kory, he lightly grabbed the spoon—recalling the twenty others that he broke—and proceeded to dive into his Froot Loops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Kory prepared herself a plate of bacon and eggs and a few pieces of what she made specifically for Gar, she looked down at Krypto, who was giving her looks that anyone else would find adorable. Dogs were foreign to Tamaran despite domestic pets that were somewhat similar. She learned about dogs before she came to Earth but Kory didn’t have many fond memories of them when she finally encountered them in Austria. The dogs, she remembered, were owned by mob lords and could turn like a dime by mere command. She had nothing to worry about before but, now, the only difference between those dogs and Krypto was that Krypto would probably be the first dog that could give Kory a run for her money. Fortunately for Krypto, he was doing a great job at proving himself to be what really defined man’s best friend. Even though the super-canine was used to eating three packets, Kory tossed one onto the floor for Krypto to completely devour. She made her way to the counter and sat directly across from Gar, throwing her gorgeous locks back to avoid getting strands into her food,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Gar graciously thanked her as he began to dig into his plate. Gar had tasted and made better but it was the thought that mattered. It was great nonetheless for someone who prepared a vegan meal for him for the first time and he was happy that she was there to enjoy with him. Just as he looked up at her, he froze mid-chew, watching as the space-native closed her eyes and began muttering to herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is she praying? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He asked himself, “Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>praying</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he finally asked in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She peeked through one eye,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she shamelessly confessed, grabbing her fork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>pray</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Tamaran?” He had a look of doubt on their face, “To what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it isn’t praying,” she took a chomp out of her bacon and spoke through subtle chews, “But we have similar traditions,” Kory thought back to the time before all of this—when she’d go on dates with gangsters back in Germany and Russia. She knew of a man who did it almost all the time before a meal, and when she worked up the courage to ask what it meant, it was explained to her without any suspicion that she wasn’t a native of earth—just a woman who didn’t know too much about religions. She only did it once before but to the best of her knowledge, it seemed to be working since Gar was having breakfast with her, “I see people do it sometimes and I thought I could just try it out...” she shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar momentarily looked down at his plate, hoping he didn’t ruin the moment,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look I…” Gar couldn’ find the right words, “I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” Kory looked into her plate, “It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “No,” Gar tried to elaborate, “It isn’t. You, Jason, and Dawn have been trying to talk to me these past few months and I’ve been pushing you all away...I...I, uh”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gar,” Kory said. She could see him shuffling through his brain to process the right words but all it did was complicate his situation even more. To her, he had nothing to apologize about since all he was doing was going through trauma just as anyone else would. The only thing he was in control of was how he would make use of the situation and how to come back from it. She didn’t want him to feel any more stress than he already did. Kory reached her hand over the table and rested her palm over his, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just enjoy breakfast,” she pulled it away, “How’ve you been feeling?” Kory asked, hoping he’d open up since he already made a successful step in getting out of bed for breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar could see what she was doing. Even though he wasn’t ready to be treated like a therapy case, he appreciated her efforts to try and communicate with him. She made him breakfast so the least he could do was give her some answers to some harmless questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been doing better,” Gar lied. However, what he wanted to say next was something that had been at the forefront of his mind for some time now and he never knew how to go about it. He popped in a cherry tomato before speaking, “I’ve been doing some thinking and I think I should get out more…” he revealed. Kory was definitely happy to hear that. A smile flashing all of her pearly white appeared as she separated the egg on her plate. He didn’t want to be a buzzkill but he certainly thought about how he was going to go about this, “I was thinking of taking a short hiatus...” he paused and looked away as Kory zoned in on him with her green eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She placed her fork down and folded her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just…I just feel like I need a break from all of this. Being in the tower…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory had a difficult time taking in this idea from Gar. It seemed so sudden and almost reckless in a way. Sure he was a young adult but he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> seventeen and Cadmus was still out there doing God knows what. What if they got their hands on him again? What if the tower was the only thing stopping them coming after him and Conner again? She couldn’t allow that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember when I told you about that therapist I met—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kory,” Gar said, becoming tensed by the word ‘therapist’ alone, “Look, I already told you, I don’t need a therapist,” he responded. He watched the hopefulness in her eyes dim, which was the last thing he wanted. So to reassure her, he corrected himself, “At least not right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to take a break from all of this. Go somewhere different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Kory took her cup of orange juice and held it to her lips before taking a sip, “You know I’ll support whatever you and Rachel think is best for yourselves...but Dick isn’t going to like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Gar took a deep breath, frightened by the mere thought of debating it over with Dick, “I’m going whether he likes it or not. I need this, Kory.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The topic was put to rest right then and there and Kory thought it would be best to resurrect it for when Dick and Jason returned. Once they finally did, Kory might as well have gone by the name Nostradamus because she predicted it all as it happened in her very eyes. Dick wasn’t happy with the idea at all. Kory, or anyone for that matter, didn’t even have to bring up Cadmus to learn that Dick felt the same way about them. With Rachel, Dawn, and Hank in other parts of the world, the team already felt stretched too thin despite the manpower that Kory and Conner had alone. With Donna gone, Dick had such a hard time processing it and it became just another thing for Dick to add to the list of things that caused him immense grief. If something happened to Gar, it would kill Dick to have to add him next. However, once Gar respectively let it be known that there was nothing that could be done to change his mind, Dick threw in the towel—while very pissed off. Meanwhile, Kory was happy for him, she had to do both the job at congratulating Gar and consoling Dick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was basically given the green light. So, Gar ran into his room, turned on his favorite alternative rock playlist, and instantly began packing his suitcase. He grabbed every essential he could think of: Toothpaste, natural deodorants, and doubled the number of underwear briefs. With the addition of some aggressive toppling and the removal of some trivial belongings, Gar was able to completely zip his green suitcase shut. The longer he daydreamed about his vacation was when he finally realized there was one remaining issue—he had no idea where he was going. Recalling the stories that Donna told him, Themyscira wasn’t an option. Gar thought long and hard about this and came up with a solution that was somewhat elementary and if he was ever asked about this, he’d flat out deny it. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his smartphone and opened up his internet browser. Typing “random state and city generator” into google, he tapped search before clicking the first link that was offered. The page preemptive showed six states and cities already, one being New York City. As much as he wanted to visit the Big Apple, something seemed unfair about it, seeing that it was listed with five others. Being the Gar that he was, he edited the settings and lessened the quantity down to one. He took a deep breath, figuring that this trip could have the potential to be an experience that would change his life or waste his time. He tapped the “randomize” button and read the newly listed location aloud,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Freeland, Georgia…” he said to himself quite unenthusiastically.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Gar scheduled a round trip for the following week and time flew in quicker than he could have ever imagined. Traveling wasn’t anything new to him but it had been a very long time since he last did. Just the mere thought of traveling again made him think about living in Congo with his parents and all the previous times he traveled with them. A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at an old photograph of them hanging on the wall over his bed. Suddenly, he got a knock on his door, interrupting the moment. Not that Gar wasn’t happy to see them, but he was underwhelmed when he realized it wasn’t Kory,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go?” Dick questioned him, wearing his usual brown leather coat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar looked down at Dick’s hand, seeing the car keys within them,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t need a ride, Dick,” Gar showed his phone, “I was just getting ready to call an Uber.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We rarely see you come out of this room, Gar,” Dick simply said, “If driving you to the airport means spending time with you before you go, then I prefer we do it that way...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar hadn’t looked forward to spending time with Dick and it was because every time he saw the vigilante, he saw glimpses of things that had a hold on hold his nightmares. He saw the possessed Dick that nearly beat him to death and he saw Donna, who died trying to save him. He never told anyone this but Gar always felt like he had a hand in Donna’s death. When it happened, Dick let it be known that Cadmus wasn’t Gar or Conner’s fault and that he’d never blame them. But, deep down, Gar knew that Dick could feel Gar’s confliction about their relationship and it was most likely what caused Dick to want to clear that sort of air in the first place. What made it even more complex was that Gar would never truly know Dick’s thoughts, because the Dark Knight’s protege was practically a master at glamourizing his emotions. Without Gar really willing to put in a lot of the work, he couldn’t see them getting anywhere as a duo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar grabbed his belongings and wheeled his suitcase out of the room with Kory and Conner waiting for him by the elevator. Kory wore a dark purple dress with a black sunhat while Conner wore a typical black t-shirt that hugged every muscle whenever he flexed via a simple movement. Given permission to meet them in the parking lot, Gar was surprised to see Jason following Dick with a glossy, garnet-colored suitcase of his very own,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s he going?” Kory asked, crossing her arms as her lavish skin tone glistened from the nearby daylight. Dick hid his shame,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With Gar,” Dick answered flagrantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Gar shook his head. Reaching into the trunk, he grabbed a hold of his luggage’s handle, prepared to haul it out. Dick watched him, feeling as if Gar was overreacting. Gar extended the handle and prepared to march off, “I’m sorry, Dick, but I already said I’m doing this alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory extended her hand out in between them,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, calm down…” she looked over at Dick and beckoned him over with her head as she walked a good distance from the rest of the teens. Dick followed her, preparing himself for a good lecture. Once he was within earshot, she spoke, “What the hell is wrong with you?” she whispered sharply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He shrugged, acting as if he were unaffected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory tilted her head in disapproval, she knew that Dick was smarter than this. He was trained by the almighty Batman for christ sakes. He could predict wherever and whenever an enemy was going to strike but he couldn’t foretell the reaction of a tormented teenager? Get real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you do that, Dick? We were just beginning to regain his trust,” she sighed. Gar could be pissed at Dick for as long as he wanted but Kory wanted it to be clear that she had no part in Dick’s overbearing antics, “And for all we know, we might have just ruined that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick nodded like a schoolchild getting reprimanded by a teacher, listening to every word that Kory said. As if Batman hadn’t scolded him enough, Kory certainly had a knack for finishing the job,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fine. You’re right,” Dick struggled to admit, “I wasn’t thinking and I’m sorry,” he said, sounding defeated. He partially turned the rest of his body while keeping his eyes pinned on her, “Now can we just get into the car and get to the airport?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory rolled her eyes as Dick marched off. If there was anything that Dick Grayson hated, it was being proved wrong and revealing the flaws in his way to go about things. She followed him back to the vehicle, seeing that the frustration had yet to release itself from Gar’s tensed jaw. Dick announced that, for the sake of Gar, Jason wouldn’t be going after all. With a lot of convincing Gar put his suitcase back into the trunk, however, Jason took it extra personal. With the help of Kory, Jason was coerced into the backseat where Conner blissfully sat, listening to the '</span>
  <span>70’s music that blasted through the headphones of Kory’s phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick, Kory, Conner, and Jason evolved into what was the epitome of an embarrassing, blended family once the airport was reached. The drive there took longer than expected and Gar’s flight was only minutes away from departing. While Gar had his luggage checked in, Dick and Kory argued with one another on which paths were the correct ones to take, followed by Kory asking almost every airline employee on whether or not Dick’s directions were correct as he insisted they were. Being the adopted child of a billionaire, traveling the world was like a stroll down the block. Traveling lightyears from her home planet was nothing compared to Earth’s primitive airlines so her panic came from her lack of understanding them, And as much as Gar wanted to ignore them and do his own thing, Jason was right there to try and one-up him—wanting to be the first to locate and reach the terminal gate before Gar could. It was in Jason’s nature to be competitive but Gar figured that maybe Jason just wanted to prove that he would’ve been the best person to have beside him through his travels. Conner on the other hand, despite being the largest, was the most naive. He became painfully distracted by Kory’s cellphone, and Gar lost count of how many times they all had to stop and look for Conner because he wasn’t held by the wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lo and behold, when Gar’s gate was finally reached, he could genuinely say he felt like a kid being dropped off to summer camp by his parents and older siblings. Although he was in the midst of a serious funk, he enjoyed every minute of it to a point where he almost reconsidered leaving at all,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he turned around, burying his hands into the pockets of his green hoodie, “This is it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost as if she were holding her breath, Kory let out a gasp and scurried towards Gar. Unable to resist the urge, she embraced him in a hug that lasted a little longer than he would’ve liked, getting odd glances from bypassers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, Kory…” Dick called. Kory turned to look at Dick, practically swinging Gar around with her with ease. Dick chuckled to himself at the sight of it, “He has to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Kory released him. She patted his hair down into place, noticing it was somewhat scruffed after she was finished with him, “Be safe okay? Don’t forget to call. Don’t forget to text. Don’t forget to take pictures. Don’t forget to...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know…” Gar’s face went red, “I’ll make sure I call you guys every day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just...Donna’s gone,” Kory’s eyes watered, “Rachel’s away...and now you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this point, Gar didn’t know how to thank Kory for always having his best interests at heart and being so supportive of his choices. Even if she didn’t always agree with it, Kory was always the one to at least be a little bit open-minded about it. It might have been the Tamarean thrill seeker, but overall, she was still someone he admired. Without a doubt, she would certainly be missed the most. After having that revelation, Gar decided it was best to give her one final hug before moving onto the others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason was still obviously pestered by the fact that Gar didn’t need his company, and even if Jason was basically going in as some sort of babysitter, he barely got any vacation time. Even though they were polar opposites, Jason liked having Gar around and vice-versa. They helped balance each other out and it caused great equilibrium in their friendship. Ultimately, it wasn’t in Jason to resist a fist bump, especially from Gar, and their farewell ended with a sincere, brotherly handshake,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring me back a souvenir, bro,” Jason pointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got it,” Gar pointed back. Just as he carried on to approach Dick, he looked around frantically, “Where’s Conner?” he asked. Dick pointed over Gar’s shoulder, prompting him to turn around and see Conner’s a few yards out, eyes still glued to Kory’s phone, “You should really consider getting him one, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dick lightly laughed at Gar’s comment,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take as long as you need out there, alright?” Dick sounded hopeful. Gar opened his arms to which Dick gladly accepted, embracing his fellow student in return. Once they partially pulled apart, Dick reached into his coat pocket and surprised him with what appeared to be a sleek black debit card. Gar eyes lit up at the sight of it, “This is a gift. Don’t spend it too much in one place, understand?” Gar nodded while looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Just as Dick was ever so close to officially handing it over, he pulled it away, like dangling a carrot in front of a green horse, “Listen to me. Take care of it and if you happen to lose it, call me, ASAP. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar stared at it in awe once it was placed in his palms. If he ever figured that he would’ve been rewarded for wanting to leave Titans, he would’ve done it a lot sooner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a final glance at Kory and Jason, who were off trying to prevent Conner from lifting a vending machine in front of a crowd of random people, an announcement was suddenly made,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the final boarding call for passengers Yvette Jordan and Garfield Logan, booked on flight 94B to Freeland, Georgia. Please proceed to gate 6 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for Yvette Jordan and Garfield Logan. Thank you and have a wonderful morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar gave his farewell and ran off to the entrance that led to the jetway. As he gave his passenger’s ticket to the employee waiting by the door, he looked back, seeing that Kory and Jason had finally managed to get Conner to stand still alongside Dick,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BYE GAR!” Conner bellowed unbelievably loud, causing Dick to jump and Kory to shake her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god…” Jason held his face in embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If there was anything Gar realized, it was that he couldn’t remember the last time he smiled so much in a single day and it was already a testament to how much of a life-changing experience this trip could potentially be. Once he was granted access to the bridge, he readjusted the straps of his backpack and looked back one last time before vanishing into the passenger bridge.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>It had been forever since Gar last traveled economy and</span>
  <span>, honestly, it was one of the worst experiences on this trip thus far. To make matters worse, he was sandwiched between two people who got the best seats on the plane. He had used the bathroom only a few times, but his neighbor closest to the edge was so difficult to wake up he had to hold his piss in for the rest of the flight. Only now did he regret drinking three bottles of water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing was more delightful when a plane finally touched down because it was probably one of the rarest instances where every single person was eager to get up and stretch their limbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without wasting much time, Gar grabbed his luggage and called for a cab to drop him at one of the nearest motel’s he could find. The drive through the city streets of Freeland was an interesting one and it gave Gar such a different vibe than the one he got back in San Francisco. San Francisco was a liberal state with a few underlying issues between the rich and homeless and Freeland felt somewhat the same. However, there was clearly a culture that cultivated and operated in the city streets of Freeland. There were people of various backgrounds and the majority looked like middle-class. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually submitting to the drowsiness that he thought was weaning away, Gar was eventually woken up by the cab driver,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me!” the driver called loudly, almost as if he had called out to him multiple times already. He pointed out the window, revealing that he was parked in the street, close beside other parked cars on the block, “We reached your destination. Have a nice day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar pressed his face up against the glass and looked at the small motel that was sandwiched between other stores that made up an entire strip of small business and apartments on the thin city block. The motel read “The Freeland Motel” on a small overhead sign that flickered with old vintage bulbs. Unable to get out of the side closest to the sidewalk because it was blocked off by parked cars, Gar carefully scooted out of the opposite side once the streets were clear of oncoming traffic. Gar grabbed his suitcase from the trunk and wheeled off onto the sidewalk as the cab sped off. Obviously not finding an issue with his green aesthetic, others seemed to—getting judgemental glances from people now and then. He extended the handle of his suitcase and wheeled down the stairs that led to the wooden doors of the motel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vacant lobby was illuminated by warm white bulbs and the first thing Gar was hit by was the wine-colored carpeted floors and the wooden benches that protruded from the half-white, half-mahogany walls that also had loud, carmine seat-cushions. The room was quite stuffy due to the lack of opened windows and the only thing that kept the room remotely cool was an industrial fan that was docked somewhat above the entrance in the interior. As he took his environment in, his hazel eyes met with an elderly brown-skinned woman with platinum grey hair. Although it was notably the typical attire for women of her age group around here, she looked like she was attending a church service. She sat at a table on the far end of the lobby, eating a sandwich that Gar could sniff out as tuna from where he stood. Wiping her lips with a napkin she graciously smiled at Gar, who kindly smiled back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He carefully made his way over to the counter, eventually making out music that blended itself in well with the ambiance around him. As he listened closely, he could hear a catchy, rhythmic instrumental tune that he could’ve classified as jazz, but knew wouldn’t stick. Sitting on the edge of the granite counter nearest him, was an office desk bell. Behind the desk was an open door and he could hear movement going on from the inside. The longer Gar stared at the bell, the sooner he realized that whoever was in the back, wasn’t going to come out unless it was to the sound of it. Hesitantly hovering his hand over the bell, he carefully hit it, giving a satisfying </span>
  <em>
    <span>ding</span>
  </em>
  <span> that lasted for about two seconds before it began trailing off. Suddenly, an older looking man walked out from behind with spectacles hanging from his neck. He was a tall man with olive-toned skin and dark brown hair. Obviously taken aback by Gar’s appearance, he stood by the doorway and put on his glasses,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” the man expressed as he gawked. He walked closer towards his counter and sat in his stool, “You’re definitely not from around here, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Gar nervously chuckled, “San Francisco.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, San Francisco. Would you like a room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Gar quickly rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the card given to him by Dick. Placing it on the counter, he slid it forward to the manager, “Just me, please. I’d like a room for a week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Within a span of five seconds, the attention that made Gar feel like a walking attraction vanished. Like clockwork, Gar was lacklusterly given a room key, told to take the elevator up to the second floor, find the room labeled 2B, and, just like that, the manager was running to the back room. Since there was no issue with the transaction, Gar retrieved his card sitting on top of the counter with a small receipt taped to it—a price he was more than proud of. As he walked over to the steel doors of the elevator, he inched closer to the woman eating her sandwich, who was sitting on the far left of it. Gar smiled at her, doing what he did best whenever it came to awkwardly grinning. She was a cute older woman and kept her eyes on Gar as she flawlessly beat him at his game of smiling back. Although pressing the elevator button multiple times barely did anything, Gar did it anyway,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did your parents allow you to dye your hair that color?” she suddenly asked, a couple of bites away from finishing her sandwich.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar stammered at first, surprised by her eagerness to converse,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My parents?” Gar repeated, “No. No, I-uh. It’s just something I do to stand out,” he answered, surprised by how quickly he thought on his feet. He looked up at the elevator once again, seeing that it was just one floor away. He glanced back over at the woman, who still happened to be observing him, “I’ve been getting funny looks ever since I arrived here so...yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile widened,</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Aw, don’t worry about them. I think it does you wonders,” she said, waving her hand in a shooing motion, “You’re a very handsome young man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar began blushing, it had been a while since anyone ever complimented him on his looks. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t remember the last time anyone ever told him he looked handsome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Gar nodded with excitement. When his elevator finally arrived he gave a farewell just in case he never happened to meet this kind lady again. But to be honest, Gar didn’t want that. Just before the elevator door could close, Gar quickly double-tapped the ‘open doors’ button, inside the elevator, just as they were seconds away from closing. Partially sticking his body out of the elevator, he gazed at the woman until their eyes met once again. Expecting him to be gone by then she grinned at the sight of him, “Sorry to bother you but I was just wondering if you knew any places for visitors like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well...” she ruffled out her black skirt as she crossed her legs underneath, “A lot of tourists come to visit the Freeland Museum. Tells a lot about the history of Freeland.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool,” Gar nodded, “Thank you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, baby.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“NO JUSTICE!” said a single voice, enhanced through the filter of a megaphone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO PEACE!!!” the surrounding crowd responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO JUSTICE!” the amplified voice shouted again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO PEACE!!!” the rest paraded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This wasn’t the exact kind of welcoming Gar expected when arriving at the Museum. From what he could tell, people were obviously outraged by something and he just didn’t happen to know what. Gar remained by the sidewalk taking in the scenery—the museum property was vast with four paths that led to the three-story building. Each path was about three yards in width, had benches, and three grassy fields that were separated by the paths. In the center of both grassy areas that were on the far left and right were statues dedicated to iconic figures in Black American history and it was the first time Gar was ever exposed to it. In the very center was the ground where the rebellious crowd congregated. A handful held up homemade poster boards and cardboards that expressed outrage and they all wore white. People, presumably visitors like Gar, observed from the outskirts. Even though Gar may have been off the clock, being a Titan was a 24/7 job and if there appeared to be some sort of injustice going on, the least he could do was do his part by trying to figure out if it was worth investigating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar carefully approached the crowd just as it started chanting, somewhat sticking out with his green hoodie and black shorts. In the very front of the crowd was a young girl with warm brown skin wearing a white t-shirt with the words, “I MATTER” labeled in an edgy black font. She had a short bob with hair barrettes on each side and a middle part. As for her unthreatening stature, she was thin and stood around five feet, three inches. However, the demand that came from her voice was nothing compared to the first impression Gar misinterpreted. In her hand was a bright red megaphone and she confidently spoke into it, bringing all attention to her,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we are again, y’all…” the young girl started, “Weren’t we just protesting the unjust murder, of a mother of three, two months ago?” scattered disapproval emitted from the crowd, “...and we’re back at it again…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar looked over at a random man who just so happened to look like a tourist as well. He wore shades, a backpack, and stood out from the crowd with his flannel shirt. He was an older gentleman, probably in his mid to late 30’s and had a face of stubble. Just like Gar, he was intrigued by the random protest,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Gar inquired of the random stranger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger glanced over at Gar, taking a double-take at his hair. However, the shades concealed the specifics,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, some guy was shot and killed by the Freeland Police,” he enlightened, “They’ve been doing this for hours. I got the whole museum tour and everything.” he scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God,” Gar responded, feeling disheartened by the news, “All these people came out here just for him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The megaphone wielding student spoke out again,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We fight and we fight time and time again for justice but nothing ever seems to change. Yusef Lorington was put in a chokehold and then shot </span>
  <em>
    <span>five</span>
  </em>
  <span> times just because he was trying to breathe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar was hit by the words. Being the every-life-is-precious kind of vegan that he was, he didn’t favor stories of people having to lose their lives. Even till this very day he still had a difficult time getting over the one time he killed that man back at the Asylum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but that’s only part of the story!” the random individual, beside Gar, voiced. And before Gar knew it, every eye in the crowd turned to look at the both of them. Gar gulped, nearly slouching where he stood. Gar didn’t expect that and listened closely to whatever it was that had to be said, “I mean, there was evidence that he shoplifted from that store before. Besides, he was mouthing off to the cop at the very beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young girl with the megaphone crossed her arms and decided she didn’t need her megaphone to put such an opinionated man in his place,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, I don’t care what he did. Even if he spat on the cop, that still doesn’t give anyone a reason to be shot dead in the street. Deescalation is in a cop’s job description and if you’re threatened by a little sharp tongue, then you have no business being a cop. How often do we see footage of trust fund babies and soccer moms mouthing off to cops and walking away with only a slap on the wrist, much less a court summons?” she asked. She received answers from the crowd but it was expected one from the visitor, obviously the least bit surprised to get no answer at all. The smugness though his smile was all that needed to be known on how he felt about the entire situation, so it would be downright time-wasting to speak with someone who had their mind already made up. This time she focused her direction on the rest of the crowd, “See, this is what I’m saying. It doesn’t matter what we do. We’re still seen as brash and threatening no matter how peaceful we try to go about the law,” she looked back at the outspoken tourist, “And if you could care less about what happens to the people around here, I suggest you and your little friend leave,” she concluded. Gar’s head jumped up, suddenly becoming attentive to the remark that included him. Wanting to not be grouped in with the absurd stranger, Gar stammered in an attempt to defend himself but the girl raised the megaphone back to her mouth and continued as if shunning them were about as simple as taking care of an itch. She looked down at the faces, the majority of which happened to look like hers, “Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of you for coming down here and doing this with me. When it comes to fighting police brutality in Freeland, we’re growing in numbers and that’s all that matters. Sooner or later they’ll have no choice but to hear us.” She ended it on a note, instructing that anyone could follow her on social media in case they wanted to remain updated for any more organized protests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like her very own meet and greet as time went on. She welcomed people with hugs and had serious conversations about the subject matter of their protest. About forty minutes in, was when the crowd slowly began to disperse. Protestors eventually left to go on and carry out their business and the speaker of the group stood behind with two others, presumably friends. Gar watched it all, leaning on a nearby light post and observing her as she got her belongings together while her friends eventually left,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya, Jen!” one friend said as they walked off waving.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jen.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gar thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jen had two poster boards in which she made for herself. One was bright neon yellow and read, “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE.” written in large block-like letters. While she attempted to roll up the poster board, a strong breeze came by and blew one of the posters off of her bench. Her megaphone fell from underneath her armpit and fell to the ground as she tried to catch the poster. having the grass soften it’s landing. With the poster blowing in Gar’s direction, he quickly ran after it and stepped on it, preventing the wind from carrying it off any further. Carefully, lifting it, he rolled out both ends and read the words “Justice for Yusef and Marsha” with a hashtagged format.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar walked back to her position, seeing her struggle to tightly roll up her first poster board,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here you go,” he handed it back to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks…” she thanked, barely glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Without even finishing the job at rolling up the first poster board, she attempted to simultaneously retrieve the second post from him. But he insisted that he had no problem holding it until she got her things together. Instead, he reached underneath her arm and took the megaphone as well, holding it as he watched her proceed to neatly roll up the neon-colored poster. Gar handed her back her megaphone and rolled up the very last poster he caught and slid it inside of the first poster board. Jen was impressed, this time expressing a little bit more genuine gratitude, “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” he smirked, proud that he could be of help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave a tight-lipped one back,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better get going before your friend sees you helping me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no, wait!” Gar rushed after her. She halted after he hurried beside her, “I didn’t even know that guy. I just came to visit the museum and this protest of yours, or whatever, caught my attention,” he professed. However, even if that was the case, he still felt the need to ask a question, “But, even if he isn’t my friend, what he said doesn’t make him an evil person, does it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t,” she readjusted the long strap of her purse onto her shoulder, “But it doesn’t make him a good person either,” she sized Gar up, taking an even better look at his hair up close than she did standing on the bench in front of the crowd. If she had to guess, she’d say he was from some big city, around her age, raised by centrist parents, and the generation of friends was probably the only reason he made it to the liberal stage in life. She looked at his green hair, “And sorry to burst your bubble, Liberal Joker, but the museum closed about thirty minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar’s mouth fell agape while he looked back at the museum and groaned to himself. It was his fault. He was in such a hurry to get going that he didn’t bother checking the museum schedule. Just as Gar faced back forward to ask Jen some more questions about the possibility of her coming back here, she was already walking to the nearest bus stop. Maybe the bar was low for him right now, but his offputting exchange with Jen was somewhat interesting. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her about whatever it was that was going on in Freeland that had so many people riled up. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Freeland turned into a different city during the night. It wasn’t like he was new to this but every once in a while he heard sirens from miles away. He knew that every city had dangerous areas but as far as Gar knew, he was in a decent part of Freeland. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Gar didn’t know of many vegan options in Freeland except for one restaurant he looked up on his phone. It was at least seven miles out and the delivery fee was pretty pricey, but considering that he hadn’t eaten since he landed, he ordered himself a massive vegan meal that would have enough leftovers to carry into tomorrow afternoon. As promised, Gar called everyone back home in San Francisco. Everything was practically the same. Dick and Jason trained every day while Kory trained with Connor seeing that she was the only person who could challenge him. And as a reward for being such a good listener, he finally got his first cell phone. Gar wasn’t trying to think too much of it, but it seemed like they were doing even better without him. There seemed to be more progression since he was one less problem for them to constantly worry over. Even though it wasn’t said, it had to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>San Francisco is basically what prepped Gar for city life. Despite growing up in the farmlands of Congo and the vast lands of Doom Manor, falling asleep to honking cars and endless traffic was practically a lullaby to his ears at this point. The only downside was the residents having aggressive sex one floor above him. It lasted for hours—and as much as people would’ve said that hour-long sex was something to be treasured, this situation made Gar beg to differ. The unfortunate thing was once it stopped, Gar was able to only get about two hours of sleep in because, soon after, more noise began to occur and the thinness of the walls might as well have made him think he was sharing a room with his neighbors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s it. Gar was clearly growing agitated and if there was anything Gar disliked, it was when he wasn’t able to get a good night’s rest. He’d become grumpy...and just as expected, his eyes briefly went green, resembling tiger-like eyes as he growled to himself. He kicked his sheets off and sat up. Stomping out of his hotel room, he walked to the door that led to the bedroom beside his. Reading “2C”. He knocked on the door, careful to not come off as too aggressive because the last thing he wanted was to start trouble,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who is it?!” he heard a young woman’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, you’re being too loud,” Gar tried to control his temper, “I can’t sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, you’re too loud and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> sl—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up one second.” the voice complained, “I can't even hear you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gar rolled his eyes underneath his lids and inhaled,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I SAID—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Gar was getting ready to raise his voice the door swung open and it was the last person who he ever expected to see—and no it wasn’t Jason. It was Jen, the same girl he met outside of the museum. Literally and figuratively, she was in a different light this time. She had eyeshadow that showed off her bright brown eyes, her shoulder-length hair was curled near the ends, and she wore rather flattering attire. Gar tried to avert his eyes back to hers as quickly as possible and a nervous breath escaped his lips before speaking,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he greeted with an entirely different tone, “It’s you again.”</span>
</p>
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